


Kiss Him Off

by will_o_whisper



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 12:39:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5708434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/will_o_whisper/pseuds/will_o_whisper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three loosely connected drabbles. Two fellas share some meals and then kiss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kiss Him Off

“You plan on sleeping some time tonight?

Damp glass tapped against Preston’s cheek, startling him more than the question. He took the bottle of Nuka Cola from Sturges, tried to pop the cap before realizing it was already open, and took a sip. Then another. And another. And another. When Preston finally set down the empty bottle his throat felt less parched, his tongue less swollen, and he could, with effort, finally focus on the face of the man in front of him.

Sturges smiled. “Come on,” he said, slinging an arm around Preston’s shoulders. “Pretty sure there’s still some of that soup Marcy made left. I haven’t had dinner yet, and I’m betting neither have you. The perimeter will be alright without you watching it for a few hours, and hell, I’d hate for our new vault dweller friend to think she wasted her time fixing up all those turrets.”

“Sure, alright…Thanks,” Preston said, trying to sound more awake than he was. He noticed now that his mouth still felt like it was full of cotton and the headache he’d been ignoring started throb behind his eyes. He’d been irresponsible letting himself go this far, again. An exhausted soldier was a weak soldier, and a weak soldier couldn’t protect his charges.

Or, Preston thought with a pang of something in his chest, himself. But Sturges’ arm felt warm and grounding, and with it the haze around his mind receded, leaving behind the realities of forgotten meals and too little sleep. The rattle of turrets on the roofs sounded a little more real when he finally ducked out of Sturges loose embrace and shouldered his laser musket.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I…Thank you.” If there was more to say the words were lost when Preston’s stomach gave a thunderous gurgle that set both men off in peals of laughter, their first since Quincy.

–

After that Sturges made a point of taking time away from patching walls and mending roofs to join Preston on his patrols. Most of the time, he brought food: a napkin full of radroach jerky, a box of gumdrops, a cup of vegetable stew. He chattered away while Preston ate.

“Jun’s been helping Marcy in the fields lately. Looks like we might get that supply line set up with the folks at Starlight after all.”

Little updates about things that didn’t matter or Preston already knew. They talked about the radio, the latest problems with the water purifier, and the strange jokes the vault dweller (General, now) and her robot butler made.

Three months after Concord Preston looked up from a dinner of burnt radstag steak and said, “The General has done a lot of good work.”

“That she has,” Sturges agreed while pushing his food around his plaet. Probably, he thought, he should have left the cooking to Marcy or Jun. Preston didn’t seem to mind, though, taking quick bites between sentences.

“People are starting to volunteer for the Minutemen. With more and more settlements supporting our cause, we’ll really be able to take back the wasteland.”

It was nice to see him animated and talking. While Sturges couldn’t say he knew the man before Quincy, he’d bet his toolbox he was happier than the man left after.

A moment to think, then Sturges set down his meal and took Preston by the shoulder. Startled, Preston stuttered and stopped mid sentence.

“Hey,” Sturges said. “I’m real grateful for all you’ve done for us. Thanks to you we’ve been able to make a real life for ourselves out here, you know that right?”

“Oh, well…That’s the idea, isn’t it?” Flabbergasted was a good look for Preston, but to his credit he recovered quickly. The smile started small, shy, then crept across his face until he was beaming bright.

That, Sturges decided, was an even better look.

–

“We’re going to retake the Castle,” Preston announced over the breakfast table one day.

Sturges frowned. “The Castle? I thought that was long gone?”

“It was, but it’s still standing. It’s been overrun with mirelurks since we were driven out. I guess it was never worth the effort to take it back, but… I’ve already spoken to the General. We still need to rally the Minutemen, but we should be ready to move in the next two weeks.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“It will be, but we can do it, man. I know we can. Think of what it would mean for the Minutemen, for the Commonwealth. I trust the General. The good guys, we’re coming back.”

Preston’s expression was one Sturges hadn’t seen since the very first day they met: eager, hopeful, excited. Those bright eyes filled with the pure determination of man who knew the odds and dared to defy them anyway.

He couldn’t lie; it made him feel a little hopeful and excited himself.

Sturges pushed aside his plate of mirelurk omelet and leaned forward. “Alright, gotta a few things. First, you let know if there’s anything me and the others can do to help. We’re here for you, just like you were for us.

“Second, I trust you and I trust your General, but you better come back in one piece. Symbols are all well and good, but no old fort’s gonna replace the man in front of me. And third…” Pushing the advantage while Preston was still wide-eyed and flustered, Sturges leaned in a little closer, enough for the man across from him to close the gap only if he wanted to.

“Third, the good guys might be coming back, but I’d say there’s one already here. And I wouldn’t mind kissing him if he’d let me.”

That broke Preston’s silence. He coughed then stammered, “You’ve thought about…? I mean, not that I…Hold on, now?”

“Now,” Sturges said, and kissed him.

**Author's Note:**

> I am going to be totally honest: I am only posting this for a friend. It's a good ship though.


End file.
